Socket for permanently waving hair



Sept. 12, 1933. w. s. LEWIS SOCKET FOR PERMANENTLY WAVING HAIR FiledSept. 21, 1929 W/zau/e 5. Lew/a.

Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Wilbur S. Lewis,Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The Nestle-Le Mur Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application September 21, 1929 Serial No. 394,203

3 Claims. (01. 219-24) This invention relates to the art of hair wavingand particularly involves the provision of apparatus for hooking up aplurality of curling units in series.

5 The proposition of operating the heating or curling units at a certaindefinite temperature is one of primary importance in this art in view ofthe liability of damage or injury to the hair and head of a person ifexcessively high temperatures are set up. This factor dictates that anycircuit connecting a variable number of heating units in series musthave a constant resistance regardless of the number of curlers used atany one time.

This invention contemplates the provision of equipment including acircuit comprising a certain definite number of electrical resistanceelements together with means for introducing one or more curling unitsinto the circuit in place of a corresponding number of the resistanceelements which are cut out of the circuit as the heaters are brought in.

More specifically, I propose to connect in series a suitable number ofelectric light bulbs, each of which has the same resistance as theheating element of a curling unit. With each of the lights is associateda plug device for plugging in a curler at the light and at the same timecutting out the latter. An important feature of the invention resides inthis particular device as it is highly desirable to simplify as much aspossible the operations of plugging in and disconnecting the curlingunits.

These and other more detailed objects and advantages will in part becomeapparent and in part be hereinafter stated as the description of theinvention proceeds. For a full and more complete understanding thereof,reference may be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side view of the head of a person with agroup of waving units applied thereto in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a showing, somewhat diagrammatic, of the manner of hookingup the light bulbs in a series circuit.

Figure 3 is a sectional illustration bringing out the construction ofone form of plug being employed in conjunction with each light.

Figure 4 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section of awaving unit showing the 'connection of the latter with one of the lightplug-in assemblies, and

Figure 5 is a showing of a waving unit with hair wound thereon and priorto the plugging in of the former. In this view the connecting devicebetween the heater and light plug are shown in section.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly Figure 1, the head of aperson whose hair is being permanently waved is shown and designated A,with the hair referred to as B. In the waving of the hair B a tuft orbunch of the latter is wound on one of the waving units C and affectedby the latter in a manner to be hereinafter more fully 55 set out. Theunits C are connected together and with a current supply by theequipment hereof to provide the heat necessary to the waving operations.

The heating units C may be of any preferred construction providingterminals for plugging in to the circuit. In the present instance one ofthese units C comprises a tubular member 1 which houses an electricresistance heating element (not shown). The extremities of the lattertake the form of or are connected to terminals 2 which are mounted in aninsulating block 3 in a socket member 4 which is carried by the tubularmember 1. The other end of the latter is provided with the constructionshown at 5 for tightening the hair on the curling rod 1. Thisconstruction includes wrench engaging means 6 which are gripped by atool as the member 1 is turned to tightly wind the hair 13.

Before the hair is wound on the rod 1 a layer of treated fabric such asflannel impregnated with proper chemicals is first wrapped about therod. This fabric is usually dipped in water just before it is wrapped.In Figure 5 this layer of material is shown and designated 7. The hair 0is wound on the rod over the layer '7 and a casing 8, preferably ofaluminum or other metallic foil is then placed over the wound hair. Thiscasing serves to hold in the heat and steam generated by the heat toproperly affect the hair.

The various waving units C which are employed at any one time areconnected to the current supply by plugging into the circuit comprisingthe connected lights D. Obvious variations in the construction of theseparts is apparent .f 100 the device provided is operable toautomatically cut out the light as the unit C is plugged in and connectthe light as the unit C is disconnected.

One form of the member D is shown in Figures 1 4 and 5 and comprises amain body member 9 1% of hollow construction having a closed end withopenings 10 therein. The walls of the member 1: are provided withopenings 11 which align with the openings 10 in the end portion. Theopen end of the body member 9 is provided with a screw threaded socketwhich receives a light bulb 13.

Conductors 14 of tubular construction extend through the openings 10 and11 and have their extremities anchored in the end portion of the member9. These conductors are designed to receive the terminals 2 to set up anelectrical connection between the heating element and the currentsupplied by the circuit. A conductor 15 extends from the socket 12 toone of the conductors 14 while a contact switch 16 connects the otherconductor 14 with the center contact 17 of the light bulb. The switch 16includes a cam projection 18 which is engaged by one of the terminals 2coincident with plugging in. This action aflects the switch to break thecircuit at 19.

The operation of the above construction is brietLy described by notingthat when the waving unit is disconnected and the circuit connected witha current supply the current passes, through one of the conductors 14 bythe medium 0! switch 16 and contact 17 to the light bulb 13. Thecurrents passage through the bulb 13 illuminates the latter. The circuitis completed by the socket 12 and conductor 15 which extends back to theother conductor 14. When a waving unit C is plugged in the engagement ofone of the terminals 2 breaks the circuit to the light bulb and thecurrent then passes through the conductors 14 and heating element of thewaving unit. When the latter is withdrawn the switch 16 again puts thebulb 13 in circuit.

A slightly modified form of switch is shown in Figure 3. In thisembodiment the terminal 2 engages the switch element 20 to break thecircuit to the bulb at 21. The switch member 20 then acts as a conductorbetween the terminal 2 and the tubular conductor 14.

The conductors 14 are connected to properly insulated wires 22 whichhook up the various light bulb assemblies and connect them in serieswith a conventional current supply through the medium of plug 23.

It is obvious that regardless of the number of waving units C actuallyemployed at any one time, the resistance oilered by the circuit isconstant as each bulb 13 counterbalances the resistance of one of theheating elements.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is above setforth, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the exactconstructions illustrated and described because various modifications ofthese details may be made in putting the invention into practice withinthe purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In hair waving apparatus the combination with a waving unit having anelectrical heating element, of a light bulb, a light bulb socketassembly, means for connecting said assembly in an electric circuit, aswitch in said assembly connecting the light bulb in the circuit when inone position, said switch having cam operating means, and a terminalassociated with the heating element, adapted to engage the cam means tooperate the switch and disconnect the light bulb from the circuit andconnect the heating element therewith.

2. In hair waving apparatus, the combination with a waving unit havingan electrical heating element, of a light bulb, a light bulb socketassembly, means for connecting said assembly in an electric circuit,means for connecting the heating element to the socket assembly andsimultaneously cutting the light bulb out of said circuit, said meansincluding terminals on the heating element and tubular members in thesocket assembly, and conductive connections between said tubular membersand the light bulb.

3. In hair waving apparatus the combination of an electric circuitincluding a light bulb, a socket member for said bulb adapted to receivean electric heating element, and means within said socket for cuttingsaid electric light bulb out of said circuit when a heating element isconnected to said socket member and connecting said bulb into saidcircuit when said heating element is removed from said socket.

WILBUR S. LEWIS.

